FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: October 8, 2020

The following statement was issued on Thursday, October 8, 2020 by Joseph Zwilling, Director of Communications of the Archdiocese of New York, in response to the lawsuit filed today by the Diocese of Brooklyn.

“Catholic parishes throughout the Archdiocese of New York – indeed, throughout the entire State – have been able to safely and successfully re-open for Mass and the sacraments, thanks to careful planning, strict adherence to safety guidelines, and the full cooperation of our clergy, parishioners, and parish staffs.

So it is unfair to arbitrarily close, even temporarily, churches which have been operating without a spike in coronavirus cases simply because other institutions have not yet been able to do so.  The Diocese of Brooklyn’s lawsuit seeks to defend their First Amendment right to continue to safely worship and operate their parishes, and we support the Diocese of Brooklyn in their effort.”

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